Behaviour

The modern workplace is dominated by a managerialist approach prioritising efficiency, control, and standardisation over genuine leadership. While you may think it has value, the trend creates significant barriers to success in our increasingly chaotic world. You only have to look at global politics, national institutions, and the business world to see the impact of a paucity of leadership at every level.

Have you ever contacted a Customer Service department as a customer of one of the many companies that claim to provide a service? If you have, I’m willing to bet that one of the first messages you received was, “We apologise as we are very busy at the moment?”. “Busy doing what?” But your work is the customer, and your daily duty is only to sort out the problems your company has caused, so you must be able to do that.

Managers often know when things aren’t going well with their team members. They may encounter expressions of defeat or hopelessness, like "What’s the point?" More often, it’s evident not in what staff say but in what they do. In many well-established cultures that seem okay from the top down, we often encounter a psychological condition known as Learned Helplessness in the middle ranks.

When brand values are being set out, so many cliché words tend to be used. Trust, Innovation, Professionalism and Integrity are probably the most frequent ones. But if an organisation isn’t trustworthy, innovative, professional and has integrity, customers and employees should avoid it anyway. Another word which is being increasingly overused is Empathy: ‘the ability to understand and share the feelings of another’.

It’s always nice when another person puts their hand up and says, “I’ll do that for you.” Whether it's a family member volunteering to organise an event, or a colleague performing a small service for their team, volunteering usually produces gratitude in others and generates smiles all around. If it happens at work, it’s often a sign of a positive culture. Cultures where this happens naturally enjoy higher productivity.

Use obligatory language sparingly and only when necessary to convey critical information or ensure compliance with important policies. Try combining obligatory language with a clear explanation of the rationale behind the directive and the potential consequences to the organisation of non-compliance. Better still, encourage a culture of open communication where employees feel comfortable giving feedback.